In this liturgical year that begins on the First Sunday of Advent (November 27, 2011) and ends on the feast of Christ the King (November 25, 2012), much of what we will hear comes from the Gospel of Mark. This is a text that is punctuated with a sense of urgency. Jesus is always moving from one place to the next, and the story unfolds in rapid sequence from the desert where Jesus began his ministry, to the empty tomb outside of Jerusalem. But don't let the brevity of Mark's gospel, or its quick pace, fool you into walking briskly through it. Allow yourself to stop each week, pausing as you would at even the smallest stained-glass window in a church. You are sure to find beauty there.

This little book is filled with brief but insightful reflections for each Sunday, as well as Christmas, Ash Wednesday, and the Triduum. A question for meditation follows each reflection.